All posts by Mark Fletcher
Below are all of Mark Fletcher's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
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Crystal Palace (Greater London, England) Full Freeview transmitWednesday 16 November 2011 1:19PM
Halifax
To all the above texting in about reception difficulties just recently no it is not a transmitter fault at the main Crystal Palace mast it is atmospheric conditions or simply an inversion effect which are causing signals to pixellate,break up and even disappear into "No signal" mode.KMJ,Derby above hit the nail on the head.Also have any of the above while experiencing these difficulties been able to receive temporarily alien UK or foreign European transmissions as such,when they rescan as one simple remedy when these weather related transmission difficulties occur is to rescan your TV/set-top box either automatic or manual scan.If anybody receives unusual transmissions not normally associated with normal broadcasts from their home transmitter or relay mast,example Digitenne from Holland on fr 32 as an example i encountered on Sunday night myself (13 Nov 2011) or a different UK transmitter then its atmospherics/inversion that is the cause and until low pressure weather systems sweep in the condition will adhere more or less until the weather changes such as rain for example.Until the UK totally switches to digital by Wednesday 24 October 2012,these problems will more or less continue until then although hopefully once analogue totally disappears from UK transmissions altogether these inversion issues will be less of a problem and possibly disappears (not guaranteed ?) completely in an all digital terrestrial UK wide TV !
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Crystal Palace (Greater London, England) Full Freeview transmitWednesday 16 November 2011 1:34PM
Halifax
Richard,Tunbridge Wells.Yes it is the wrong type of weather as you phrased it,look up inversion effect that is the cause or reception difficulties you and a lot of people are encountering in most of eastern UK the last few days or so.I suffered with inversion myself on Sunday night (13 Nov 2011) not my local transmitter,Belmont (BBCA,D3+4,SDN mux's).So until rain sweeps in soon the inversion effect will more or less continue until low pressure sweeps in.
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Sudbury Arqiva multiplex B changes 16 November - retune requireWednesday 16 November 2011 6:07PM
Halifax
Aaron,Sudbury.Hard to say without a full postcode.In relation to one of yer two aerials,the loft antenna (group W wideband) is fine,no problem there.The other external antenna you mentioned check the coloured tip of yer aerial where it is pointing to,if the tip is coloured black then it is a group W wideband aerial,if the tip is coloured yellow it's a group B aerial,if the tip is coloured brown it's a group E semi-wideband aerial optimised for the middle-higher frequencies normally fr's 35-68 although superior group E aerials can pick up between fr's 31-34.If you feel your outdoor aerial is too old then the easy remedy is replace it with a group W wideband Log periodic as you mentioned you reside 3 miles from the main Sudbury mast using black or brown coloured satellite grade copper-copper co-ax cable and fitted importantly with a brass co-ax aerial plug,not alloy or worse still plastic plugs,they're useless.If you did follow the above advice (yer free to do as ya please) and you end up with too much signal fit an attenuator.I hope my advice is of use to you,feel free also to advice from fellow regulars on here too.The more advice on here whether its the same or different advice as such,the more better the options that are available for you to opt for !
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Sudbury Arqiva multiplex B changes 16 November - retune requireWednesday 16 November 2011 6:53PM
Halifax
Aaron,Sudbury.I'm glad to be of some assistance to ya.Happy viewing !
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will,Bridlington.The box that you stated on the aerial mast will most likely in this case be a masthead amplifier which will most likely be of the booster system.As for the Freesat option described if you feel this is a better option my advice,go for it.Bearing in mind though that all satellite platforms too can suffer from pixellations and occasional picture break ups as well.
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Sudbury Arqiva multiplex B changes 16 November - retune requireWednesday 16 November 2011 9:12PM
Halifax
Tim.Hard to say without a full postcode.Apparently a lot of people on here today have complained about being unable to receive the relocated low powered ArqB mux on Sudbury mast which now sits on fr 63 from fr 50 previously.But also some people have also complained about pictures coming and going as well as receiving unfamiliar broadcasts.Now this morning after you retuned,you mentioned ya received Look North instead of Look East.That denotes one of five main transmitters you picked up this signal from,either BBCA fr 22 from Belmont,BBCA on fr 47 from Emley Moor these two most likely as both transmitters are now both digitally switched and broadcasting on full power.The other three most unlikely being on lower pre-digital signals and still broadcasting analogue signals,are Mux1 on fr 34 from Bilsdale,Mux1 on fr 58 from Pontop Pike or Mux1 on fr 40 from Chatton.My conclusion here would be that firstly there were teething troubles relating to relocating ArqB from fr 50 to fr 63 due to the low level strength of the relocated ArqB signal and possibly many people using cheap inferior contract aerials which can fail to pick up the highest frequencies as well as the lowest ones in rare cases.My second conclusion most probably is due to atmospherics/inversion effect still affecting eastern UK and until rain and low pressure comes soon,this problem will carry on until then.
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Sudbury Arqiva multiplex B changes 16 November - retune requireWednesday 16 November 2011 9:26PM
Halifax
John.Tiptree,Essex.You can always consider the Freesat option if you wish.But if you decide to wait come Wednesday 27 June 2012 when Sudbury finally is liberated from all forms of restrictions as such,then the wait will be well worth it.
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Wednesday 16 November 2011 12:32PM
Halifax
Monty.My pleasure to be of assistance to you.Just out of interest i'm no professional myself,just an amateur with some knowledge of most things on Freeview as this at present is the only platform i am viewing digital TV through an indoor set-top aerial oddly enough.Until Bilsdale itself completes its DSO next September 2012 (12 DSO1,26 DSO2),i for now will retain my trusty group W wideband indoor set-top aerial,until i decide which main transmitter apart from Emley Moor i decide to commit to with an external antenna (Belmont possibly or maybe Winter Hill ?).Anyway less of me going on and just to confirm that come Wednesday 23 November 2011 the restrictions on the ArqA & ArqB mux's at Belmont will finally be lifted.